Yuan Wei had thought the morning's tea with Princess Ming was the pinnacle of chaos he'd face today. The palace had a way of proving him wrong.
As he approached the quiet corridor leading back to his chambers, he froze. There, illuminated by a sliver of sunlight filtering through the lattice window, stood Princess Lian. Arms folded neatly in front of her, eyes bright, lips curved in that infuriatingly polite smile that made him simultaneously nervous and irritated.
Yuan's stomach dropped. Not her. Not now. Anywhere but here.
He pivoted on his heel, moving quickly in the opposite direction. His footsteps echoed lightly as he darted down the hall, eyes scanning desperately for somewhere to hide, anywhere out of her attention. She didn't call out, but he wasn't taking chances.
Finally, he slipped into the corridor leading to Prince Jian's chambers. The polished stone floor reflected his flustered face, and he swore the walls themselves were watching him.
